


I See You

by scorpio_15



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Deaf Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:53:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8439277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorpio_15/pseuds/scorpio_15
Summary: A sweet little story about two teens who have the hots for each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Pyrosgf for the beta and to her friend who is Deaf and made sure that this story was accurate and respectful.
> 
> This fic was requested by the winner of a monthly contest I was trying to do a while back. She requested a kradam love story. This fic is ridiculously late by many months. Obviously there's no way I can pull this contest thing off. My apologies, and thank you to everyone who donated. I still have another shortfic to write for the last winner, and I will get it done ASAP.

1

Adam didn’t really like history, and during his senior year, he learned way more about it than he cared to. That was the year Kris Allen moved to town. Kris was cute, gay and completely deaf in both ears. Adam was fascinated by him and majorly bummed that they only had one class together. On the days he wasn’t taking notes, he spent a most of the class thinking about Kris, wondering if he had been born deaf and trying to come up with ways to ask him out that didn’t sound dumb. He knew Kris was gay because Kris had announced that he was during his little introduction speech on the first day of class.

“Hi, I’m Kris,” his interpreter had said for him while he signed. “I’m a gay deaf guy from Arkansas with a service dog.” Kris shrugged and smiled in a very disarming way, and the class smiled back at him. “My dog’s name is Saffron and she is trained to alert me to different sounds. Please don’t pet her or bother her or call her name unless I say it’s okay. Also, I can’t read lips, so texting is the easiest way to talk to me if you don’t sign and an interpreter isn’t around. If you want my phone number, you’ll have to ask me for it.” Kris winked and smiled again, slyly this time. Adam was instantly smitten, and was sure that Kris had winked directly at him.

Since Kris had to watch an interpreter the whole time during class, the teacher asked for volunteers to take notes for him. Adam volunteered a lot, but not enough that it would seem stalkery. Plus he wasn’t that good at taking notes. Kris didn’t seem to mind, though, and grinned at Adam every time Adam handed the notes to him after class. Adam thought that maybe he should learn a little sign language.

He started by looking online and found some videos showing how to sign certain words and how to sign the alphabet. After a little practice, he was ready to say something to Kris in sign language. The notes he took that day were worse than usual because he was so nervous. What if he messed up and accidentally signed something embarrassing or offensive? Still, he vowed to go through with it. He hadn’t had a date in a long time, and Kris was just too cute to be ignored.

When the bell rang, Adam jumped up from his seat, sat back down and stood up again, slowly this time and with more grace. He heard someone laugh at him but he didn’t care. With all the coolness he could muster, he walked to the font of the room and said Kris’ name. Kris’ dog nudged Kris on the hand and Kris turned around. There was that smile again, like a sunburst trying to restrain itself and failing miserably. Adam tried not to sigh, but it was hard. He held the notes out to Kris, who took them and signed, _‘thank you.’_

Adam recognized it now, the gesture Kris made with his hand to express thanks, and he responded by putting his hand palm up, sliding it forward and then backward to say, _‘welcome.’_ Kris’ eyes went wide and went even wider as Adam continued. “My name is Adam,” he said as he made the sign for name and then finger spelled A D A M. He felt a bit stupid, because Kris already knew his name, but it’d been an easy phrase to learn and show off. The next one was trickier. He pointed to himself, then made his hands walk in front of him like feet, then pointed to Kris and finally moved his hands around an invisible ball. He raised his eyebrows at the end to indicate the question: _‘I walk you class?’_

Kris stared at him for a moment and furrowed his brows. 

_Oh shit, I did it wrong._ Adam bit his lip and was about to walk away in shame when Kris suddenly brightened and nodded, laughing a cute little chuckle through his nose. Relieved, Adam watched him bend down and scribble something on a piece of paper: Yes you can walk me to class. Here’s my phone number, unless you have more signs up your sleeve.

Adam smiled but shook his head no. He took out his phone, typed in Kris’ number and sent him a text. ‘Where are you headed next?’

‘Spanish class’, came the reply, and Adam’s jaw dropped. There was no way…he looked at Kris, and sure enough there was a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. ‘Just kidding,’ said Kris’ next text, ‘it’s Chemistry.’ 

“Oh you are too much,” Adam said, and then remembered that Kris couldn’t hear him. “Sorry,” he said, “I mean…I didn’t…” He fumbled with his phone to type an apology, but Kris was already laughing at him, that cute nose laugh again. Adam supposed Kris was used to people acting like idiots around him. He watched Kris’ thumbs fly as he typed another message to Adam. 

‘Don’t worry about it. Let’s go or I’ll be late.’

Adam nodded and they headed out into the hallway with Saffron. It was strange, not because he was walking with a guy, but because it was difficult to talk, having to text everything. Adam was a good multitasker and like everyone else, he was always glued to his phone, but he hadn’t realized how much he relied on eye contact during causal conversation until now. Texting with a person right next to you felt really weird. Plus he kept forgetting and saying things out loud like, “so how is California treating you so far?”

Kris was extremely patient and forgiving, and he was also much better at texting while walking than Adam. This was a surprise, since Adam could use his hearing to help him navigate the environment and Kris couldn’t. 

Kris explained, ‘I have kickass peripheral vision and Saffron helps too…she makes sure I don’t get into trouble.’

‘How long have you had her?’

‘Since I ran away from home when I was 13.’

“Holy shit!” Adam said, unable to help himself. “I mean...” He typed fast. ‘Why did you run away? Did you go home again? What happened?’

Kris chuckled as he read Adam’s message and replied. ‘I wanted to go to public high school but my parents wouldn’t let me. They wanted me to stay in the deaf community. They’re both deaf too. So I ran away in protest. I spent the night at a friend’s house and when I went back home they agreed to let me go to public school. They got me Saffron to help out.’ Kris reached down and scratched Saffron behind the ear.

‘Wow!’ Adam was impressed, and ‘wow’ didn’t seemed to cover it. ‘You are really brave,’ he added.

Kris looked up at him, smiled genuinely and signed _‘thank you.’_

Adam felt a swoop of giddiness in his stomach as he signed _'welcome’_ and continued walking Kris to class.

2

Kris liked Adam, a lot. Not only was Adam really hot, but he also seemed to have a good heart. His parents, of course, would have a fit if he started dating a hearing person. They were wonderful people in many ways and were generally great parents, but they had a very strong opinion about mixing deaf and hearing cultures: don’t do it. It won’t work. He or she will never really understand you. You’ll get hurt.

Kris had rebelled against their views since middle school. He remembered seeing groups of hearing children during field trips and wanting to be with them. They were mysterious and captivating. Certainly it was easier to stay immersed in deaf culture, but Kris didn’t care about easy. He’d spent years doing things that weren’t easy, like working day and night on his reading and writing skills (with his father’s help). Watching TV with closed captioning also helped him understand spoken English culture and idioms, and that was easier work, but work nonetheless.

He’d begged his parents to enroll him in regular activities like swimming, which was his favorite sport, but they hadn’t agreed until after the running away incident. Kris was an excellent swimmer, and he’d aced the high school swim team tryouts right away. Even with his handicap (his parents hated that word, but it was true that he was always a second behind because he couldn’t hear the starting whistle), he did very well and often came in second or third place during swim meets. 

Kris had enjoyed high school in Arkansas. In addition to Saffron, Kris had several interpreters that assisted him whenever he needed it: in class, during swim practice and competitions, and on any other occasion he wished as long as he gave them enough notice. Of course there were challenges, but he was a determined fool, as his mother often told him, and by the end of his sophomore year he was getting all A’s and B’s in his classes. The biggest drawback to attending public school was loneliness.

Everyone was nice to him, but it was hard to make friends. There was a large gap between him and everyone else, both cultural and communicative. Just like the hearing, he needed eye contact to feel connected, and having to rely on texting was a huge barrier to that. Plus he was so accustomed to the extensive non-verbal communication that went along with sign language. He ended up staring a lot to make up for it, but that just made everyone uncomfortable. The puzzle of the world was made for hearing people, and his piece didn’t fit no matter how finely he sanded the edges. So he went to school, did swimming and continued to hang out with his deaf friends. He’d also had a boyfriend for a while, but the guy turned out to be a jerk. Kris was quick to tell his parents that his (deaf) boyfriend had been meaner and more hurtful than any hearing person he’d ever met.

 _‘You’re idolizing them,’_ his father had said, his hands cutting sharply through the air. _‘They are no better than you just because they can hear.’_

 _‘I know, I know,’_ Kris had responded, rolling his eyes. 

Kris’ father was a teacher at the Arkansas School for the Deaf High School (another reason why he was upset that Kris wanted to attend public school). He was an English teacher and also taught a class about helping deaf students learn self-determination and advocacy. Kris’ mother ran a daycare for deaf children, which was a rare and wonderful gift to the community. The Allen family was happy and thriving right up until last year, when the deaf high school lost a ton of funding and had to fire a quarter of its teachers, including Kris’ dad. When he couldn’t find another teaching job in Arkansas, they had tried to live off of mom’s daycare earnings, but that didn’t work out. Kris’ uncle Jordan in California finally rescued them with a job lead at the California School for the Deaf.

It was a major upheaval. They’d had to leave a very tight-knit and supportive community, one that was essential to their well-being. Even Kris hadn’t realized how much he’d depended on it until it was gone. Kris’ parents jumped right in, seeking out and connecting with all sorts of resources in California, but it was harder for Kris. He’d lost of all his friends back home and as a “special needs” teenager, faced a social challenge that his parents would never understand, because he was still determined to finish mainstream school. After that, who knew? Maybe he’d go back to full time immersion in the deaf community, maybe not. He just wanted to graduate from regular high school, to have that experience, to make his own decision and see it through. Wasn’t that what self-determination was about anyway? 

So he was a little isolated and lonely. Well okay. And anyway, he was hoping Adam could help him out with that. In the meantime, he read a lot of gay romance novels and imagined that he and Adam were the characters in the stories.

3

Adam walked Kris from History class to Chemistry every day. He thought he might be ready to ask Kris out in about a month. Once he was on a date, it was all good, but he was really bad at the asking part. He got all panicky and sweaty and said stupid things. One time he tried inviting a guy to a movie, but ended up stammering and making a dumb comment about the guy’s shoes instead. Maybe it would be easier to do it with texting; he could spend time composing the message before hand to make sure it sounded okay. But he also had this idea that it would be awesome to ask in sign language. That would take some time to learn. So yeah, maybe in a month.

‘How come I never see you at lunch?’ Adam asked Kris one day as they were meandering to the science wing. 

Kris didn’t respond at first, just looked up from his phone with a sad little frown on his face.

Adam frowned, too, wondering if he’d said something wrong. Kris was staring at him, like really looking deeply into his eyes. Adam shivered, and then he walked right into a wall. He dropped his phone and staggered back, holding his nose as his eyes watered with pain.

“Nice one, Lambert!” someone called, laughing. It didn’t bother him. He was fairly popular which allowed him to brush that kind of thing off with no problem. He was more worried that he’d already messed things up with Kris. _I insulted him somehow, and then I walked into a wall. Great._ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to do next. When he opened his eyes again, Kris was standing right in front of him, his face full of concern.

Kris raised his eyebrows and it was clear he was asking if Adam was okay.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Adam, wriggling his nose. He picked up his phone and typed, ‘I’m sorry for…whatever I said.’

Kris read the message and shook his head vigorously. ‘What class do you have next?’

‘Gym,’ Adam responded. What did that have to do with anything?

‘Can you skip it?’

‘Hell yeah.’ Adam would skip gym everyday if he could.

Kris smiled. ‘Let’s ditch class together. Come on.’

‘Okay ☺’ He didn’t understand what had just happened, but more time hanging out with Kris sounded good to him.

They ended up outside on the school lawn, sitting under a large oak tree. Saffron stood guard while Kris sent a message to his interpreter saying he didn’t need her this period. Then he made a gesture with his hand, and Saffron lay down and closed her eyes. ‘This is where I eat lunch everyday,’ Kris told Adam.

‘By yourself?’

‘Yes. Me and Saffron.’

Adam was about to ask why, and was really glad he didn’t, because Kris’ expression gave it all away. He suddenly looked like the little kid at a birthday party who was invited out of sympathy. Adam took Kris’ hand and squeezed it. With his other hand he typed, ‘I’ll be your friend.’

Kris squeezed back, and they spent the rest of the period holding hands. 

Later, while lounging in his bedroom and listening to an album by Miike Snow, Adam congratulated himself on making a move that had been both graceful and sincere. That night he told his parents all about Kris. His mom, of course, got excited and suggested that he invite Kris over for dinner. 

“Uh, it’s a little early for that, mom,” he said. “Plus, how would we…” Adam paused, suddenly picturing Kris sitting at their dinner table. It would be completely silent; everyone would be on their phones and no one would talk out of respect for Kris. _Weird._ If he and Kris ended up together, it’d be like a cross cultural thing, like dating someone from India who didn’t speak English. Except Kris did speak English, kind of. _I wonder if he can talk at all. What does his voice sound like?_ A life without sound, without speaking…Adam couldn’t imagine it. No talking, no singing…no music! _He’d never get to hear me sing…_

“Adam?”

“Yeah, sorry mom, just…give it while, huh?”

Back up in his room, Adam tried not to over think it. _One step at a time. Just concentrate on getting a date and see how things go._ He opened his laptop and resumed his efforts to learn some sign language. If things got serious with Kris, he supposed he’d have to do it the right way and take a class. At the moment he was having fun learning how to compliment Kris, and he successfully did so the very next day while eating lunch under the tree with him.

Although it was cool outside, Adam was sweating. He licked a bead of sweat from his upper lip and tried not to panic. It was just a compliment, no biggie. He put down his container of chicken salad (his mom still liked to make lunch for him once in a while) and made sure he had Kris’ attention. Their eyes met. _‘You have a beautiful smile,’_ he told Kris, signing the words you, beautiful and smile. Kris beamed at him and Adam’s heart started to pound. He swallowed dryly and pushed down a crazy urge to grab Kris and kiss him. 

Suddenly Kris’ hands were a blur, gesturing and weaving, his facial expressions moving just as fast. Joy, confusion, sadness, joy again…Adam couldn’t keep up. What was he saying? Adam just sat there, feeling like a small drop in comparison to this outpouring of emotion, until Kris finally stopped and picked up his phone.

‘Sorry, I had to get that out.’ He chuckled at Adam’s speechlessness and continued typing. 

Adam smiled as he read Kris’ words: ‘No one has ever learned any sign language for me before. Hearing people always seem content with texting. You’re the first one to sign to me. It means a lot. It says that you care.’

“I do care,” said Adam as he sent the same words to Kris.

Their eyes met again. Somehow they were sitting closer (had Adam moved? Had Kris?), and Kris was looking at him with that deep and penetrating gaze. Again Adam felt the urge to kiss him. He couldn’t help it. He closed his eyes and leaned in.

When their lips touched, Adam knew he’d done the right thing, because Kris was leaning in, too, and his fingers were already cupping Adam’s jaw. It was warm and sweet and easy, just a little hello with a promise of things to come. Adam stroked Kris’ ear before pulling away, and then they both sat there, smiling at each other and nibbling on their lunches until the bell rang and echoed across the lawn. Saffron nudged Kris on the elbow, trotted a few steps toward the school, then came back to Kris and nudged him again. He patted her on the head and stood up. Adam followed suit, although he was reluctant to end their time together.

Kris sent a message as they walked back to the school building, and when Adam read it, he actually let out a whoop of happiness. He replied quickly, ‘yes of course I will go to the Winter Dance with you!’ Kris was clearly way better at asking guys out. Funny that, how bad Adam was with words sometimes while Kris, who never spoke, seemed to have more confidence using them.

Adam floated through the rest of the day and spent the evening planning what he’d wear to the dance next week.

4

_‘You’re not going.’_

Kris was unfazed. _‘You can’t tell me what to do anymore, dad. I’m just telling you as a courtesy.’_

His dad’s mouth twisted into a mocking smirk. _‘And what are you going to do with Saffron? Will she help you dance?’_

Kris looked down at his lap and refused to meet his father’s eye, which was an excellent way to say fuck you without saying fuck you. His mom came over and sat next to him. 

_‘You know we’re just concerned because we love you.’_

_‘How about showing your love by being happy for me? I have a date with a cute guy!’_ he said, throwing his hands in the air at the end. 

_‘A hearing guy,’_ said his dad, scowling.

 _‘Who cares!’_ gestured Kris with exasperation. _‘He’s nice and he even learned some signs for me.’_

There was a pause. Kris’ dad cocked his head, seeming to consider things, then shrugged and went back to reading his book. It was his way of saying _‘fine, go do what you want.’_

Kris had actually expected worse, so he smiled and looked to his mom. Her face was a painful swirl of sadness and disappointment, but she said nothing, just hugged Kris and left the room.

 _That wasn’t so bad._ Kris went up to his room and started brushing Saffron. With such long fur, she needed regular grooming. What would he do with her at the dance? She’d go crazy with all the loud music and noise. Maybe he’d leave her at home that night. He’d be with Adam the whole time, after all. _Adam._ Kris sighed, remembering their kiss under the tree. His vigorous brushing slowed down and then stopped altogether. He hopped up onto his bed and lost himself in daydreams as the sun went down. His teenage body thrummed with desire. The night settled in and gifted Kris with a particularly lustful dream in which he and Adam kissed with tongue and then gave each other blowjobs.

The next morning, Kris’ parents were in much better spirits, and his dad even offered to show him a few dance moves after school. 

_‘I still don’t approve, but I wouldn’t want you to go without knowing what to do.’_

_‘I’m sure it’ll be loud enough that I’ll feel vibrations. Anyway Adam will lead. I’ll just leave it up to him…thanks though.’_

As Kris walked to school, he thought that what he really wanted to do that afternoon was to watch Adam rehearse for the winter musical. Fliers for The Music Man were plastered all over the walls and Adam’s name was in big letters on each one. _I bet he’s beautiful when he sings._ He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to watch, so he asked Adam during lunch.

Adam looked shocked at the question. ‘It’s okay,’ he told Adam. ‘It won’t be weird for me if it won’t be weird for you.’ Although Kris was sure he’d feel some sadness, it would be worth it. He wanted to know Adam.

After another moment of staring (Kris loved that Adam stared as much as he did), Adam finally looked at his phone long enough to type a reply. ‘Yeah of course you can. Come at 4:00. Why do you want to though?’

‘It’s your thing,’ Kris responded. ‘I want to see you do your thing.’

Adam grinned at that, then scooted closer to Kris and waggled his eyebrows as if to say, “this is also my thing.”

This time they kissed a little longer, a little deeper, and although Kris had some experience, Adam was obviously more experienced. Either that or he was a naturally fantastic kisser. He felt Adam’s tongue on his lips, slipping past his teeth, gently exploring…he was dizzy, melting, his blood rushing so fast and hard he thought he’d pass out. All thought and ration left his brain. Somehow his hand found Adam’s inner thigh.

5

“Down boy,” said Adam with a laugh, momentarily forgetting that Kris couldn’t hear him, but clear headed enough to remember that they were sitting on school property. He removed Kris’ hand and winked at him.

Kris took a few deep breaths and shook his head, looking dazed. 

Adam thought he was adorable. Sexy and hot for it, but adorable, too. Adam gave him another minute and then sent him a message. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m into it, but let’s save it for later.’

Kris licked his lips as he typed back. ‘Yeah, sorry, I got carried away.’

‘No worries, really. If we were in my room I wouldn’t have stopped you.’

At reading this, Kris flopped down onto his back and made a sound like a half-groan, half-sigh. Adam laughed again, thinking that the poor guy must never have been properly kissed. The bell rang, jarring and evil. Adam stood up, but Kris didn’t move until Saffron nudged him several times. Adam helped him up and pecked him on the lips, lingering just a little at the end, just so he could hear Kris sigh again. It worked.

Kris pouted at him, too. ‘You are wicked.’

‘I do my best.’

Adam tried not to worry about Kris watching him rehearse. If it had been any other guy, he’d be nervous about messing up a song, but in this case he just hoped that it wouldn’t be a painful experience for Kris. After school he told the director that Kris was going to be there. He probably should’ve asked permission first, but he knew that the director wouldn’t mind. She pretty much let Adam do whatever he wanted as long as he promised to take care of his “phenomenal voice.”

Kris showed up at exactly four o’clock, which was an hour after rehearsal started, long enough for the director to go over her notes from last time and get things moving. Adam was well into his first song, Ya Got Trouble, when he saw Kris enter the theater with Saffron. Kris sat in the aisle seat in the row behind where the director was perched - balancing her skinny butt on the back of the chair - about six rows from the stage. Adam was glad Kris didn’t sit in the front row, as it would’ve been even more distracting. He took theater very seriously; it was about the only reason he stayed in school. Every time the director stopped rehearsal to give suggestions or corrections, Adam stole a glance at Kris, wondering how it was going for him, and gave him encouraging smiles.

 _What if he decides he doesn’t like me after this? What if he’s hurting right now? Will he want to call it quits already?_ Adam tried to feel reassured by the fact that Kris returned his smiles and didn’t leave the theater. _Maybe he’s just being brave though._ It was a long afternoon, and Adam was mentally exhausted by the time pizza arrived for the dinner break. Over thinking things always made him tired even when he wasn’t singing, dancing and acting all at the same time. He ignored his grumbling stomach and made a beeline for Kris. 

Thankfully Kris was a whiz at interpreting facial expressions and body language, and, correctly reading Adam’s, he stood up and made a sign Adam now recognized, _‘I’m fine,’_ by touching his thumb to his chest with his hand open and fingers spread apart.

Adam raised his eyebrows, questioning, because there was some sadness in those beautiful brown eyes, but Kris nodded and made the sign again.

‘I do have a serious question though.’

Adam kept his eyes on his phone and waited, prepared for the worst.

‘Can I have some of that pizza? I’m starving!’

Laughing with relief, Adam punched Kris playfully on the arm and led him towards the food.

6

Kris felt both sad and happy. Of course he wished he could hear Adam sing. If his voice were half as beautiful as his face when he sang, Kris would probably be reduced to a blubbering mess. But he’d given up feeling sorry for himself a long time ago, and he had the advantage of being able to really see people without any distractions. And what a sight Adam was! Kris sat spellbound, staring until his eyes watered. He couldn’t believe that a person could be so captivatingly expressive, especially a hearing person. Adam’s face, his entire body, his aura (if one believed in such things, and Kris did) emitted such emotion that Kris could barely take it all in.

He tried to pull himself together each time Adam smiled at him so he could smile back and show that he was okay. And he was okay. A little wistful, sure, but mostly awed and thankful, and honestly amazed that he had scored a date (and several kisses) with someone as incredible as Adam. Granted, he’d been the one to ask Adam to the dance, but he’d been more nervous than he let on.

Unlike many of his friends, Kris used his deafness as an excuse to be ballsy around hearing people. It seemed to make them feel more comfortable and it was fun to watch them react. He wasn’t nearly as forward in the deaf community, tending to blend into the background. He’d been so surprised when someone had asked him out that he’d said yes immediately, ignoring his better judgment. That guy was an asshole, nothing like Adam, not caring and genuine and humble.

When Kris saw Adam rushing towards him from the stage, he adopted the most nonchalant demeanor he could manage. It just wasn’t cool to be seen as a doting, lovesick puppy, and he didn’t want to scare Adam off. Adam was clearly worried, and Kris did his best to put him at ease. It all went down pretty well, even though things got a little awkward around the food table, with Adam introducing him to all his theater friends and trying to finger spell all of their names. Kris had to hold back a chuckle here and there; he didn’t want to discourage Adam’s effort.

‘You are seriously sweet,’ he told Adam once they were sitting down with plates of pizza and chips. Adam gave him a puzzled look. ‘For spelling everyone’s name for me like that,’ he explained. ‘Just really sweet.’

Adam smiled and typed back, ‘Thanks. I know I messed up a little, though.’

Kris waved it away and kissed him on the cheek. They ate in a comfortable silence, so to speak. The world was always silent for Kris, but he often found that hearing people weren’t good at just sitting and enjoying each other without words. Adam didn’t seem to have that problem, and Kris was grateful, particularly now when he didn’t trust himself not to say anything stupid. He thought about how amazing Adam was, and then thought about how things might be if he and Adam got serious…meeting his parents, hanging out with his friends. 

He suppressed a frown as he imagined the communication difficulties. Of course he could text with people, but it was more likely that he’d be left out of conversation with an occasional oh-sorry-didn’t-mean-to-exclude-you text sent his way. Whether or not Adam decided to learn sign language, Kris would have to rely on him as an interpreter to summarize conversations. He’d been in these situations before and they were generally sad and exhausting. Did he really want to do that on a regular basis?

Adam touched him gently on the arm and he looked up from his lap. All worrisome thoughts disappeared as he gazed into Adam’s eyes, his heart melting a little. There was plenty of time to figure things out, and suddenly Kris was only able to think about how he could get Adam alone long enough to do more than kiss him. Maybe after the dance, maybe in Adam’s room, on Adam’s bed. Kris shivered.

Adam cocked his head in question, but also grinned slyly.

‘Just thinking about the dance,’ he told Adam.

‘And after the dance…you were thinking about that, too weren’t you?’

Kris gasped. He didn’t make noise often (and for good reason) but he couldn’t help it. ‘How did you know?’

Adam eyes twinkled. ‘This ain’t my first rodeo. I know that look.’

Blushing, Kris tried to respond, his thumbs poised, but he couldn’t make them work. And then another message from Adam popped up: Don’t worry, I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget. _Oh my god._ Kris closed his eyes and attempted to keep it together. He really needed to stop reading romance novels. He watched Adam type another message, noting the tempting curve of his lips.

‘You are seriously cute. I wish I could hang more but I need to get back to rehearsal. Are you going to stay?’

‘I can’t. I promised that I’d be home before dark.’ He pouted, hoping that it was enough to get a kiss. It was.

7

With the exception of prom, high school dances were almost extinct in 2016. Adam’s school still held on to the Winter Dance, but it was a small affair; less than a quarter of the students showed up. Kids preferred private house parties where they could drink and grind unsupervised. Adam was all for it, but he also loved dressing up, dancing real moves, and showing a guy a good time at an official event. Last year he went stag with his friends and they spent the night tearing up the dance floor. Lots of fun, but nothing compared to going with a cutie and getting a little something something afterwards.

Although he’d messed around plenty, Adam was technically a virgin. He wasn’t necessarily waiting for the love of his life or anything, but he didn’t see the point in giving it away to just anybody. When the right person and the right moment came along, Adam was sure he’d recognize it. In the mean time, he planned to school Kris on the finer points of making out and, if he was reading Kris correctly, hoped to get good and handsy with him.

The afternoon of the dance, Adam opened his closet and riffled through his clothes, sighing happily. Clothing and accessories were a weakness of his, and shoes, and boots, especially boots, and also jackets. He was a bit of clothing junkie and had had to take up part time work at Whole Foods to support his habit (which was not a hardship, really). His wardrobe reflected his varying tastes as well; he seemed to go through a different phase every few weeks; one week he was decked out in Kpop zippered pants with a blazer, and the next a plaid shirt tied around his waist. For some reason, jogger sweat pants were coming into style and Adam had tried that out, too, but only for two days because, nope.

Today he had no trouble picking out his outfit; he’d had it planned for days. He started with a pair of black pants that were slim fitting but not too tight. Then came a maroon button down which he only buttoned up three-quarters of the way. Next, a skinny black tie, tied loosely so that the knot rested against his skin where the shirt was open. The final layer was a black blazer with wide lapels. After lacing up a pair of Saint Laurent shoes (it’d taken him three months to save up for them), he stood in front of the mirror, buckled his belt and thought that he looked pretty good. 

“You look smashing,” his mother told him before he set out. She gave him a hug, said her obligatory, “have fun but be careful,” and asked him to text if he was going to be out past midnight.

“I will. Love you,” he said, and hopped into his dad’s old Honda Accord. A lot of his friends had nicer cars, but as long as he had a steady supply of new clothes, he didn’t mind driving a clunker. It got him around and that was all he needed for now.

Kris had that said he wasn’t ready for the whole meet the parents thing yet, so they’d decided that Adam would pick Kris up outside his house. As Adam pulled up to the curb, he wondered about Kris’ parents. Would they ever approve of him? He’d always been so popular with parents; it was odd to think that there were people who thought he might not be good enough for their son. As if to reinforce this idea, the door to Kris’ house opened and revealed a man standing stark against the light inside. Adam couldn’t see his face very well, but he was sure it wore a frown. He stuck his arm out the car window and waved. The man just stood there for a moment, and then closed the door. Yikes.

While Adam was contemplating what he’d have to do to win over Kris’ dad, the door opened again and Kris came out. He was done up in black slacks, a white button down with the sleeves rolled up and a black tie. Adam smiled. _What a little hottie._ He got out of the car and went around to greet Kris. 

When Kris was a few feet away, he stopped dead and stared at Adam. _‘Wow!’_ he said, waving his hand in front of his chest, his mouth open and his eyes wide with amazement. Adam blushed uncharacteristically and glanced at his feet. He saw Kris’ shoes a few inches from his own and looked up. Kris nodded at Adam’s pocket where he knew Adam kept his phone. Adam took it out and read the message: ‘You look ridiculously hot. If my parents weren’t watching out the window, I’d be begging you to kiss me.’

Adam giggled. ‘Good thing I’m polite or I’d do it anyway…you’re looking very kissable right now.’

‘Well let’s go then so we can ditch our audience.’ 

Being a gentleman, and wanting to show off for Kris’ parents, he opened the door for Kris and helped him into the car. When they were both in, Adam gave Kris the rundown. ‘I’m taking you to one of my favorite spots to eat. Then we’ll hit the dance for a while and then head out for dessert.’

Kris raised his eyebrows. ‘Dessert?’

Adam nodded, playfully bit his lip and winked at Kris. He was happy to hear one of the rare sounds to come out of Kris’ mouth, the half groan-half sigh Kris made when he was hot for it. Adam felt kind of proud about that. He drove them to MessHall Kitchen, a low key gastropub that served the best burgers Adam had ever tasted. It was a bit pricey, but worth it for being teen friendly, casual and yet nice enough for a date. 

As they walked in, Adam suddenly realized that didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Was he supposed to say something to the server about Kris being deaf? Should he order for Kris? No, that would be presumptuous and disrespectful, right? Thankfully, Kris rescued him as soon as they were seated at a booth. ‘Stop worrying,’ his text said. ‘I can do everything myself.’

While others might be creeped out at being read so easily, Adam liked it. Usually he was the more perceptive one, and it was nice to be on the receiving end for once.

‘Besides,’ Kris went on, ‘I’m the one who asked you out in the first place, so you’re supposed to follow my lead.’

‘Got it, you’re in charge,’ Adam replied with a teasing smile.

When the server came to their table, Kris held up his phone to her. She looked at it for a minute, nodded and then asked Adam for his drink order. He ordered a raspberry lemonade and turned his attention to the menu. Kris did the same. Adam peeked at him and suppressed a giggle. _I’m on a date with Kris! Yes!_ All those hours spent taking notes in History had finally paid off. _He’s so cute. Why didn’t I kiss him in the car? I should have kissed him. I bet he’s wondering why I didn’t._ Adam’s phone lit up (he had learned to silence text alerts when talking with Kris) and he looked down at it.

‘So what’s good here?’

‘Everything. Seriously this place has the best food. Can’t go wrong.’

Kris ended up ordering the fried chicken plate and Adam got the Mess burger…onions, aged cheddar, pickles and smokey sauce…yum. The server took their menus and left them to sit and stare at each other for a while. They were very good at it, having spent many of their lunchtimes together that way. Finally, though, Kris picked up his phone and typed the words that Adam had been waiting for ever since he’d set eyes on Kris: ‘So go ahead. Ask me anything you want about my deafness. I’m ready.’

‘Yeah? You sure? I mean we’re on a date. We don’t have to be so serious.’

‘I want to, really. I want you to know all about me.’

Adam took a deep breath, trusting that Kris was being honest, and dove in. ‘Okay you said your parents are deaf too, so does that mean you were born deaf?’

‘Yes, it’s hereditary.’

‘Can you hear anything at all, like anything?’

‘No. I am what they call profoundly deaf. I can’t detect sound no matter how loud it is.’

Wow. Complete silence, all the time. Adam tried not to let any sympathy show on his face, but of course Kris saw it anyway.

‘I know it’s natural for hearing people to feel sorry for me, but you don’t need to. I’m not sorry for me. Keep asking.’

Adam schooled his features and plowed on. ‘So hearing aids wouldn’t work?’

‘Not enough to be worth it. All babies get a hearing test when they are born, and mine showed that I had the same deafness as my parents. Not even the best hearing aids would help much. When I was five, we tried a new one that had been developed and it was terrifying.’

That was hard to imagine. Why would hearing things be terrifying? Adam gestured for Kris to go on.

‘All I heard was distorted noise. All my life I was used to no sound, and then I was excited that maybe I would hear something and it was just loud and scary and didn’t make sense. I was so glad when they took them off.’

Adam couldn’t think of anything to say, and was glad that Kris kept typing.

‘Hearing people usually ask about cochlear implants, too. Those are electronic devices that can be surgically implanted into a person’s inner ear. They can help people like me hear things.’

As Adam read the words, he immediately wanted to know why Kris didn’t have the implants. But as he was typing, he felt the heat of Kris’ stare and looked up. The restaurant faded away as they locked eyes. This was moment was important; Adam could see it written on Kris’ face. It said: Will you be like everyone else, or will you be different? Adam wanted to be different, special. He deleted what he’d written and tried something else.

‘I’m sure there are lots of good reasons not to have the implants.’ He bit his lip and pushed the send button, silently praying that his message was the right one.

Kris read it and smiled. 

Phew. Adam let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and took a long drink of lemonade. The server had perfect timing. She set down their plates and refilled Kris’ water glass, which help shift the energy and ease tension. Kris and Adam took several bites of food before resuming their conversation, and Adam enjoyed watching Kris eat. He seemed to really get into it, savoring each bite and even closing his eyes sometimes. It had become a fun hobby of Adam’s during their shared lunches under the tree, watching Kris commune with his food. Kris had explained that being deaf made his other senses extremely refined, and tasting his food was an experience he never took for granted.

Adam rested his chin in his hands. He could just sit here and look at Kris all night. The beautiful shape of his eyes, his strong jaw and slightly crooked smile, soft lips opening and closing, moving in rhythm as he chewed his food…yeah, Adam had it pretty it bad. He laughed at himself and gave his burger the attention it deserved.

Kris laughed at him, too, chuckling almost silently. ‘Okay so let me wrap things up for you. Yes, there are lots of reasons I didn’t get cochlear implants. I won’t bore you with the details, but here’s a summary. First, my parents decided to accept me as I am and believe that deafness is another way of being human that doesn’t necessarily need to be fixed, especially if it involves a surgery with unpredictable results. They believe that a person born deaf was meant to be a visual learner. Also, Deaf culture is a real and huge thing that my parents wanted me to learn and be a part of.’

It wasn’t easy reading for Adam. He’d never considered that some deaf people wouldn’t want to hear. _Okay, I’m an open-minded person. I can take this in._ He nodded at Kris to keep going.

‘There’s a lot of controversy about it. Not everyone feels the same way, but that’s how it is in my family. Some day I might decide differently for myself and get the implants but for now I’m content with the way I am.’

Adam closed his eyes and let Kris’ words settle in his brain for a moment. Was he a little surprised? Sure. But mostly he was amazed by Kris’ self-confidence. If it were him, would he have asked his parents for the implants or would he have been content, like Kris? He supposed if he’d been born deaf and went to deaf schools and everything, it wouldn’t matter that he couldn’t hear. He opened his eyes. ‘I respect your decisions and your parents decisions about how you want to live your own lives. I mean how could I not? I think it’s cool that you are happy with the way you are when so many people aren’t. No one is ever satisfied with what they’re given. So good for you ☺’

Kris’ smile was so radiant that it made Adam’s pulse speed up. He leaned across the table, took Kris’ hand and laced their fingers together. Kris’ hand was warm and soft, and suddenly Adam wanted to feel that hand touching him, cupping his jaw, stroking his hair, stroking his… Heat rose up in his cheeks but he didn’t look away; he continued to stare into Kris eyes and imagined them together, kissing and touching…he let all the desire show in his eyes, on his face…he wanted Kris to feel it.

8

It was bad manners to jerk off in public, but Kris really, really wished he could just then. Looking at Adam’s face, smoldering with lust, was like watching porn flick. He was already hard; all it would take was a few strokes. He squirmed in his seat, flexed his fingers in Adam’s hand and tried to keep his breathing even. Adam’s lips twisted up into a sly and cocky grin. Kris blanched; he was going to be in (wonderful) trouble later that night. He might be assertive and confident about some things, but he had no delusions that he would do whatever Adam wanted. He squirmed again, trying to adjust himself discretely. Adam chuckled and let go of his hand. ‘I can’t wait for dessert,’ said a new message on Kris’ phone.

 _Lord help me._ ‘Why don’t we ditch the dance and go straight for it then?’ 

‘Nah,’ said Adam. ‘Anticipation is half the fun! Come on let’s finish up and get out of here.’

Kris ate fast, abandoning his usual slow style, and made every effort not to think about getting busy with Adam so that he could stand up without embarrassment. They had an amicable argument about who would pay; Kris won because he had asked Adam out to the dance. The drive to the school was nice. Adam seemed to know all the back roads to avoid LA traffic, and Kris enjoyed the scenery. California was definitely growing on him. He glanced at Adam. Yeah, definitely growing on him.

As they walked towards the school together, Kris found himself missing Saffron. He’d never been to school without her, and her absence left him feeling vulnerable. Before he and Adam entered, he pulled Adam aside for a brief chat.

‘So I’ll need a little help in there,’ he told Adam.

‘Of course. What should I do?’

‘Let me know if anyone says my name or tries to get my attention and I can’t see them. Just tap me on the shoulder or something. I’ll be able to feel the music vibrations so I can keep a beat, but I don’t dance very well. You’ll have to lead. You’re such an amazing dancer so that’s not a problem, right?’

‘Not at all,’ said Adam. ‘So awesome that you can feel music vibrations!’ Adam looked very happy about this, probably because they could share something important to Adam, at least in a way. Kris knew that there were plenty of deaf people who danced and even played music. Maybe being with Adam would help him learn to appreciate it more.

They continued inside and sure enough, Kris felt the music before he even stepped foot in the gym. The vibrations danced through his feet and legs, tingling pounding sensations so strong he could almost taste them. Once inside, the beat seeped into his chest and brain. If he stared at the speakers long enough, would he be able to see the music? Somehow that seemed possible. Adam took his hand and walked him into the jungle of writhing bodies. Kris tried not to look shocked at all the grinding and dirty dancing going on right under the teachers’ noses. He’d only seen that kind of dancing on TV and never imagined that it would be allowed at a school. _Will Adam try to dance like that with me?_ He cringed, already anticipating the worst case of blue balls ever. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about that right away. 

Adam could really move. Kris had seen this during the musical rehearsal, but here, Adam wasn’t constrained by choreography. He let loose, showing off his long legs and arms with grace as Kris stood by and watched. Damn he could move. At the end of the song, Adam pulled out his phone, said, ‘thanks for letting me get that out,’ and linked hands with Kris.

Kris nodded, smiling, and they swayed in time to the beat for a little while, getting a feel for things. Adam tried a few steps, pulled Kris along with him, went back to swaying, and tried a few more. Kris’ feet went where Adam told them to. Kris was surprised, but Adam looked pleased. He led Kris into a couple more moves, then a spin, and Kris found his body doing things for Adam, dancing for Adam. It was surreal, almost like his body was an extension of Adam’s, and somehow…right. Kris gave into it immediately and was rewarded again with this wonderful sense of rightness.

They flew through several songs together, Kris not noticing that people had stopped to watch them until Adam pulled him in close at the end of the fourth number. Out of the corner of his eye, Kris saw people clapping, but he ignored them and they went away. He was plastered to Adam, their chests touching with every labored breath, and Adam’s eyes were on fire, boring into Kris’ with the heat of a volcano ready to erupt. Kris did it without thinking, just leaned in and bit Adam on the earlobe, and none too gently. He felt Adam gasp, and just like that, they were at the gym doors, out in the brightly lit hallway, down the hall, in the bathroom, in a stall, tongues in each other’s mouths, hands groping and hips grinding. 

This was a dream. It had to be a dream, a fantasy seducing Kris’ brain as he slept in his bed at home. How else to explain the fact that Adam Lambert, popular kid, theater star, gorgeous boy was molesting him in the school bathroom? A moan was longing to escape his lips, but he stifled it into a whimper and felt Adam’s hands grip his hair in response. They kissed in a frenzy until it was almost painful and then stopped, hands on each other’s shoulders, foreheads pressed together, mouths panting. Kris wanted release, needed it. He made the sign and hoped to god Adam had learned enough to recognize it. _‘Please.’_

Adam’s eyes flew open with understanding, but he shook his head and gestured around him, then furrowed his brows. Kris got it. Not like this, not in a bathroom. He fumbled for his phone and managed a message. ‘Then please excuse me while I jerk off next door.’ Adam dissolved into laughter (Kris imagined it was a beautiful laugh) and opened the stall door. They took care of themselves in their respective stalls, Kris leaning against the wall with one shaky arm, Adam sitting on the toilet with his legs spread wide and fist pumping, then cleaned up and left the bathroom.

‘Sorry,’ said Adam on the walk back to the gym. ‘I shouldn’t have done that. Dancing with you just got me all riled up. And when you bit my ear…’

‘I don’t regret a single second,’ said Kris.

They shared a smile. Adam smacked Kris on the ass. Kris returned the favor. The night was still young. They danced some more, Kris kept his teeth to himself, and they were able to restrain themselves, even during the slow numbers. A few brief kisses, a couple of dangerous hip rolls, but they held it together.

In the middle of a song, Kris suddenly felt Adam saying something to someone Kris couldn’t see, someone behind him. After a few seconds, he tried to turn around but Adam stopped him. Adam shook his head and waved his hand, telling Kris to forget about it. He looked pissed off, but then his face cleared and he smiled. Before Kris had a chance to press the issue, some of Adam’s friends came by and stole Adam for a group dance; Kris didn’t mind, they were really good. After that, it felt like the right time to leave. Kris didn’t bother to curb his enthusiasm when Adam suggested it.

‘Where are we going?’

‘Not my house. It’s a surprise,’ said Adam.

Kris didn’t try to guess; he liked surprises.

9

They took off their neckties and settled into the car. Adam got on the 101 and headed west. Their destination was a bit out of the way, but it would be worth it. He’d only ever been up there once, and not with a date, but he and his best girl friend had agreed that it was the perfect makeout spot. He glanced at Kris, who was gazing out the window and looking peaceful, and wondered if he would mind some music. Adam always had music on while he was driving, and he missed it. He tapped Kris on the knee, gestured to the radio and signed _‘O.K.?’_ with his right hand.

Kris gave him the thumbs up.

“Siri, play favorites playlist,” Adam said to his phone. After a few seconds, he was treated to the gorgeous vocals of Tori Kelly. Such incredible talent; Adam hoped that someday he would be on someone’s favorites playlist. During the drive, he thought about the incident with Lance on the dance floor.

Lance had asked Adam out a year ago but Adam had refused because the guy was a dick, which he had proven again tonight by making fun of Kris behind Kris’ back, waving his hands around as if trying to sign.

“Green looks ugly on you,” Adam spat at him. 

“I’m not jealous,” said Lance. “You’re not all that anyway.”

“You’ll never find out, will you? Asshole.”

Adam sighed and shook the memory from his head, trying to concentrate on the road. Poor Kris. It was hard enough for him without having jerks like Lance around. Kris was ten times the guy Lance was, and had more balls, too. _Maybe I should’ve told Kris…maybe he would’ve punched Lance…that’d be hot._ Adam smiled at the mental image and silently promised that he wouldn’t try to be Kris’ knight in shining armor. It would be disrespectful, and Kris didn’t need rescuing anyway.

When they arrived at Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Adam turned left and headed up to the overlook. It was a beautiful, clear night, and the view of the city would be perfect. At the top, Adam saw a several other cars and chose a spot off to the left so they would have a little more privacy. He shot off a text to his mom, killed the engine and turned to Kris, hoping his surprise would be well received, but he needn’t have worried. The glowing city below gave off enough light for him to see Kris’ grinning face.

‘Wow,’ he said, then typed a quick message to Adam. ‘You are a genius.’

Adam put his hand to his chest and gave a little bow. ‘Thank you.’

Adam selected a new playlist that was more romantic, sultry hypnotic beats, and turned the volume up loud so that Kris could feel it. The doors vibrated and Adam saw Kris nod in time to the music, smile in appreciation. They held hands and took in the view. 

The city was a two-toned crescent moon arching around the Santa Monica bay, its bottom half dark and dotted with twinkling lights, its top half a brilliant sea of gold. The steady stream of planes landing and taking off from the airport looked like a star shower. Adam sighed deeply. No matter how often he dreamed of traveling the world, he couldn’t imagine living anywhere but here.

Adam made the first move. He was comfortable, practiced. This was the easy part of dating. He leaned across the console separating them, stroked Kris’ jaw and pulled it towards him. Adam was proud of his kissing abilities. He’d graduated from awkward experimentation to skilled in a very short time. A few open mouth kisses with no tongue was the best way to start a long makeout session. He liked to build things up. 

Their lips came together, slightly tacky, soft, Adam still holding Kris’ jaw. A little flicker of tongue, a little nibble...he wanted to hear Kris sigh and moan; he wanted him to stop holding back. Another flick of the tongue earned him a low, humming moan. He suckled Kris’ lip and gave it a gentle bite. Another moan, this one less controlled and bit wobbly. _Yes. Let go._ Kris’ hands rested at the base of Adam’s neck, still and well behaved until Adam gave him more tongue, then they flexed, pressed down, skittered up into Adam’s hair, scratched… It was Adam’s turn to sigh. He loved fingers in his hair.

The music wove through him, guiding his lips and tongue, moving his hands to all the right places. Kris was breathing hard now, his fingers clenching painfully. Adam broke away and looked at him. It was too dark to see his eyes in detail, but his mouth was open, wanting, panting. Adam smiled in satisfaction. Although he was tall, he managed to climb over the center console, then he pushed the passenger seat back as far as it would go and straddled Kris’ lap.

Kris looked up at him with a shy, adorable little smile. It was almost unbearable. Adam waggled his eyebrows and dove in hungrily. Deep licks now, jaws stretched wide. His hips moved to the beat, rhythmic and steady, and Kris started up this sound…like a breathy moan with a hint of a whimper…erotic music to Adam’s ears. His fingers found the buttons on Kris’ shirt, darted inside and straight down Kris’ happy trail, eagerly knocking on the door. Hell, he was a teenager; he didn’t have the patience of a thirty-year old.

10

Kris answered the door in a hurry. In seconds his fly was open and he was ready, for whatever Adam had in mind. He knew he was being reckless; what if Adam wanted to go all the way? It seemed unlikely on a first date, but still… Then Adam’s hand was on him, firm and warm, and his thoughts flew off their track. They continued to kiss, although it was more Adam doing the kissing while Kris tried to breathe and not come right away. Adam stroked him with gentle, steady movements, pressure, but not too much since he wasn’t using lube.

Noises came out of his mouth; he could feel them, vibrating in his throat before they sailed into the air. He couldn’t help it and he couldn’t muster up any ability to care what they sounded like. Adam’s kissing became lazier as his hand sped up, his tongue lounging in Kris’ mouth, his hand ghosting up and down. The music continued to thud through Kris’ body; it felt like his heart was beating double time. He spread his legs wider, squeezed his eyes tighter, anticipating the release…then Adam stopped. Kris opened his eyes and saw Adam wiggling down to his knees. He tilted his head to the side, asking, and Kris said yes. Hell yes.

11

Oh god the sounds that Kris made. Adam was used to hearing moans or grunts, but Kris sang. Long, drawn out notes that went up and down in pitch and sent shivers down Adam’s spine. He was going to have to jerk off while he went down on Kris because he’d come in his pants otherwise. After getting comfy on his knees, he unzipped, spit on his right hand, steadied his left hand on Kris’ thigh, and went to work. Kris started to sing again. Adam pumped himself faster, took Kris deeper into his mouth.

12

Kris knew Adam was doing it, felt him doing it, felt the rhythm of Adam’s hand travel through his body and into his lips as they tightened, slid down and rested at the base…Adam swallowed…Kris bucked, cried out a wordless sentence of pleasure. He inhaled deeply, still on the edge, and suddenly wondered: Was Adam making noise, too, even with his mouth full? _If I can just reach…_ He gripped Adam’s neck, softly, his thumb on Adam’s throat and fingers wrapped around the side. Whether he’d been doing it before or just started up for Kris’ benefit, Kris didn’t care. The humming vibrations made everything even sexier.

He knew when Adam came by the intensity of the humming followed by a long shudder, and then Adam continued to drive Kris crazy with his licking, swirling tongue and deep swallows. He apologized later for the nail marks, for squeezing Adam’s throat as he came.

‘No worries,’ Adam said after a few light kisses. He nibbled Kris’ earlobe before returning to the driver’s seat. Kris sighed silently, wishing that Adam was still in his lap, still touching him. _Maybe I should crawl over there and reciprocate._ But the timing didn’t seem right, and he didn’t think he’d be up to par. Adam was clearly a pro. He hesitated, not sure how to phrase the question that followed this thought. ‘You really know what you’re doing,’ he finally typed.

Adam smiled and didn’t seem offended. ‘I’m not a man whore, if that’s what you’re wondering. I’ve only had a couple of boyfriends, but they were long-term. Plenty of time to practice.’

Kris nodded, shifted in his seat, and felt a frown tugging at his mouth. 

Adam put a finger under his chin, lifted it up and gave him a soft kiss. ‘I’m also a good teacher,’ he said.

‘Can’t wait,’ said Kris afterwards, now smiling. He imagined more dates, being boyfriends, and thought that any communication difficulties would be worth it. 

‘Me neither,’ said Adam.

They put their phones down and held hands for a long time.

13

When Adam got home at 3AM, he went online and registered for a local sign language class.

‘I’m in,’ he wrote to Kris. ‘Be my beau?’ He didn’t expect a reply until tomorrow – it was four in the morning – but his phone lit up right away.

‘Yes.’ And then a few seconds later: ‘But I prefer boo over beau. It’s cute and reminds me of Halloween, my favorite holiday.’

Adam laughed out loud, feeling on top of the world. This was going to be good.


End file.
